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About this project

She’s Beautiful When She’s
Angryis the first feature documentary about the birth of women’s
liberation in the 1960’s. We have been working on this film for several years, and have filmed women all over the US. Now after years of effort, we can
make it to the finish line – if we can count on your support!

photo by Virginia Blaisdell

THE STORY

She’s Beautiful When She’s
Angrytells the story of
the brilliant and often outrageous women who challenged women’s roles in
the late 1960’s, starting what became the Women’s Liberation movement. Back then, women couldn’t get birth control without a
marriage license, job ads in the newspaper were divided between “Female Wanted” (meaning typist, nurse, housekeeper) and “Male Wanted” (everything
else), and women couldn’t get a credit card or mortgage without their husband’s
signature. In New York, a woman who was
raped couldn’t bring charges without an eyewitness to the crime!

The women in She’s Beautiful When She’s Angrychanged all that – by
organizing. In the mid-1960’s, Betty Friedan and others formed NOW, the
National Organization for Women. At the
same time, younger women from civil rights and antiwar groups began meeting - dissatisfied with being treated like second
class citizens within their own movements. Soon “consciousness–raising”
groups popped up all over the country. What
began as personal discontent became political action. A tsunami followed, where a women’s meeting might have started with a
dozen women, and at the next meeting there would be a hundred!

Chicago Women's Graphics Collective

WHAT ABOUT TODAY?

We have filmed today's young feminists, and show the importance of carrying on this struggle. This is a film about activism and how each generation has to step up. As Virginia Whitehill, the 84 year-old daughter of a suffragist, says in the film, "You're not allowed to retire from women's issues."

Lavender Menace t-shirt

WHY ARE WE MAKING THIS FILM? AND WHY NOW?

We both have been making documentaries for decades, and know that our lives and careers were helped immensely by the women's movement. Mary started her feminist activism in a women's heath group studying "Our Bodies, Ourselves", oh so long ago. When we filmed the collective that wrote the book, it was like coming full circle. Finally, we're outraged that women's issues are frequently used as a political football, especially around reproductive rights.

Today, the word "feminist" is frequently disparaged, and the achievements of the women's movement are often taken for granted, if not ridiculed. Showing previews of the film to younger audiences has been very gratifying, yet we frequently get asked, "Why don't I know anything about this?"

Why? Women are still not taken seriously, this was and is a radical movement, and it still has powerful opponents. It's very difficult to get funded. We could go on, but you get the point. Watch the video above, and it will be even clearer.

photo by Diana Davies

WHERE WE ARE NOW

After several years of
filming interviews and events across the United States, we are now in post-production,
editing the film. We have gotten this far with several small foundation
grants and many donations from generous supporters.

NOW, to finish the film, we
need to raise a large amount of money, and that’s why we’re appealing to the
Kickstarter community. We are asking for $75,000 to help us finish editing and for archival costs. We have found amazing footage
from the time (some not seen for over 40 years!) but archival fees are enormous. To release the film we have to license the footage, photographs and music. Your donation will help us pay for that.

So please HELP US to
finish this inspiring film.

NOW is the time, when
women’s rights are being turned back, eroded and just plain erased in a million
ways.

FIGHT BACK --- Don’t let
this crucial history be forgotten!

FIGHT BACK --- Don’t let
women’s rights go back to the 1950’s!

FIGHT BACK -- Help us produce a film that will spread the
message!

photo by Diana Davies

A FEWDETAILS

HOW DOES KICKSTARTER WORK? When you donate to She's Beautiful When She's Angry via Kickstarter, we only get the donation if we meet our goal. If we don't reach our goal, we receive $0! And you donate $0!

IS THIS DONATION TAX DEDUCTIBLE? When you donate via Kickstarter, your donation is not tax-deductible. If you wish to do a tax-deductible donation, we have tax exempt status via City Lore Inc, our non-profit sponsor. Please go to our website, http://www.shesbeautifulwhenshesangry.com for directions on how to donate directly to the film.

CAN WE EXCEED OUR KICKSTARTER GOAL? Absolutely! If we make more than our $75,000 goal, we will be able to finish the film, and begin the massive outreach campaign She's Beautifuldeserves.

PRIZES? Once we are funded, we will be sending out follow up emails, and will ask you for mailing addresses, t-shirt sizes etc. And you can forward your prize to a friend if you wish.

Thank you so much for your support.

Mary and Nancy

Risks and challenges

She's Beautiful When She's Angry is a very challenging film to make because of the breadth and complexity of the women's movement. Our biggest risks were sticking with the project when we ran out of funds, more than once. That was a risk well worth taking, because now -- we're so close to being done!

We are currently editing the mountain of footage that we've shot and obtained from film archives all over. With adequate funding, we expect to be able to bring on some assistants to help the process go more smoothly. We also need help in getting clearance and permissions for the treasure trove of footage we've found. And the post-production costs for sound, picture correction, etc. will be huge.

We have both worked on many award-winning documentaries on 20th century US history. So we're not intimidated by a big project like this, we love it! The fund-raising has been our biggest challenge, and with your help, we will finally be able to finish this important film.

FAQ

Rewards

Pledge $5 or more

SISTERHOOD IS POWERFUL! We'll send you a thank you tweet, and email updates on the project.

Estimated delivery:Jan 2013

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Pledge $10 or more

66 backers

GIRL POWER! A She's Beautiful When She's Angry postcard signed by the filmmakers, a thank you tweet, and email updates on the project.

Estimated delivery:Jan 2013

Only ships to: United States

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Pledge $20 or more

293 backers

NEW: Paperless pledge! A digital download of our film once in distribution. Be one of the first to see our film -- even from abroad!

Estimated delivery:Mar 2013

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Pledge $25 or more

294 backers

UPPITY WOMEN UNITE! A DIGITAL DOWNLOAD of the finished film once in distribution, AND a postcard signed by filmmakers, a thank you tweet, and email updates. Be one of the first to see our film!

Estimated delivery:Mar 2013

Only ships to: United States

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Pledge $50 or more

51 backers

NEW: wear an UPPITY WOMEN UNITE PIN! plus a digital download of the finished film once in distribution, a postcard signed by filmmakers, a thank you tweet, and email updates. Looking good!

Estimated delivery:Mar 2013

Only ships to: United States

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Pledge $75 or more

73 backers

FIGHT BACK!!! A DVD copy of the finished film once in distribution, AND a digital download, postcard signed by the filmmakers, a thank you tweet, and email updates on the project.

Estimated delivery:Mar 2013

Only ships to: United States

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Pledge $100 or more

127 backers

THIS IS WHAT A FEMINIST LOOKS LIKE! Classic T-SHIRT, your choice of SHAMELESS HUSSY or LAVENDER MENACE logo, and a DVD, plus thank you on website.

Estimated delivery:Mar 2013

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Pledge $150 or more

26 backers

SHE'S BEAUTIFUL in a SHE'S BEAUTIFUL WHEN SHE'S ANGRY T-SHIRT (and so is he!) signed by the filmmakers, and DVD, digital download, postcard, tweet and email updates on the project plus thank you on website.

Estimated delivery:Mar 2013

Only ships to: United States

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Pledge $250 or more

13 backers

SISTERHOOD IS BLOOMING! Classic POSTER from the Chicago Women's Graphic Collective, choice of t-shirt signed by the fimmakers, and DVD, digital download, postcard, tweet and email updates, plus thank you on website.

Estimated delivery:Mar 2013

Only ships to: United States

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Pledge $500 or more

8 backers

WE CAN DO IT! with an ORIGINAL POSTER from the She's Beautiful When She's Angry documentary, signed by the filmmakers, and all of the above, plus thank you on website.

Estimated delivery:Mar 2013

Only ships to: United States

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Pledge $1,000 or more

7 backers

JOIN US!!! TWO PREMIERE TICKETS, in any major US city, (travel and hotel not included) and invitation to the after-party and all of the above, plus BIG THANK YOU credit on finished film.

Pledge $5,000 or more

0 backers

FEMINISTS!!! DONOR PACKAGE -- Donor Credit on finished film, two premiere tickets in any major US city (travel and hotel not included) and invitation to the after-party, plus 10 signed t-shirts, and 10 signed DVDs.

Estimated delivery:Apr 2013

Only ships to: United States

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Pledge $10,000

0 backers

WOMEN OF THE WORLD UNITE!!! -- DONOR PACKAGE Donor Credit on finished film, four premiere tickets in any major US city (travel and hotel not included), plus a PRIVATE DINNER with the filmmakers, crew and women in the film, and invitation to the after-party, and all of the above.